Barrels beyond belief
The US is producing more oil than ever before. That’s according to the latest data from the Energy Information Administration, which revealed that the nation’s crude oil production hit 13.2 million barrels per day, surpassing the pre-Covid peak.
After relying on imported oil from around the world for decades, the US has turned its energy dependence into a strength in recent years. Domestic oil production has more than doubled since 2012 — which has made the US the world's leading producer, after beating Russia for the top spot in 2018.
Lone star: producing star
As of last year, the US accounted for nearly 15% of the world's crude oil production, with Texas alone contributing more than 40% of that. Indeed, if Texas were a nation, it would be the fourth-largest producer, eclipsing the entire European continent and the UAE, which had reportedly planned to use the upcoming COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai to vie for fossil fuel deals.
Current projections indicate that the planet is on track to warm by 2.5-2.9°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 — a modest improvement from the 3°C estimate at COP21 in 2015, but still significantly worse than the agreed-upon target of 1.5°C. Even so, for its part, the US has pledged to achieve "net zero" by 2050.
